The only thing you need to know about the 911 hearings

[tw]

Originally posted by OnyxCougar
Personally, I don't see anything wrong with fingerprinting foreign nationals. If they are here on legitimate business, I don't understand the resistance. It makes it one step harder for people who are faking passports to do so. I think that's a good idea.

In which case you are an advocate of a National Identity and Verfication program. After all, the WTC terrorists used American ID. Most popular ID for the WTC attack was NJ driver's license. Why? Driver's licenses are being used for a purpose they were never intended - so that you can prove your identity.

It is not the fingerprinting that created the problem. It was a sudden demand for microchips in passports. The proclaimation was made without even first learning what could and could not be done - classic MBA type solutions. This caused a massive problem for our friends who had to stand for hours in lines for Visas - because this computer chip passport could not be implemented by Oct 2004. It is only recently that Powell finally recinded the requirement.

But why the requirement? The US government did not have an information collecting problem. They had and probably still have an information processing problem. Problem was not with the existing passport system. WTC attack could occur becasue little people were stifled by top management from doing their job. The list is long from John O'Neill, Richard Clarke, FBI agents in AZ, IL, and MN - and onwards.

And so we fix a defective top management problem by creating a big computer chip passport system?

Why no terrorists lately? Top management decided that maybe terrorism was a problem. Suddenly little people were empowered to do their job. Problem even traceable to a president who had at least three warnings specifically about the WTC attack - and did nothing. Problem being that this administration even tried to hide those warnings rather than admit to the reason why WTC attackers were never detected. A computer passport is cute. But it does not solve the original problem - top management who could not even be bothered to respond to obvious warnings.

Even after Al Qaeda tried to use commercial airliners as missiles to attack the Eiffel Tower years previous (a concept even demonstrated in a Tom Clancey novel), Condi Rice claims she could never forsee terrorists using aircraft as missiles. Therein lies the problem. Top management even in denial. High tech passports only a knee jerk solution that does not address the original problem.

Blame the foreigners. Its all their fault. We don't need no stickin National ID system. Driver's Licenses do just fine. We don't need no president that listens to warnings. Don't worry. Be happy.